


The Ace of Hearts

by Its_Just_Chemistry



Category: Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Asexual Character, Denial of Feelings, Domestic Fluff, Drinking & Talking, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Romance, Feelings Realization, Fluff, Heartbreak, Heterosexual Sex, Homoromantic, Implied Sexual Content, Judal needs a hug, M/M, One Night Stands, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pining, Rating May Change, Sad with a Happy Ending, Tags May Change, Temporarily Unrequited Love, biromantic character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-05
Updated: 2018-04-05
Packaged: 2019-04-18 23:02:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14223723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Its_Just_Chemistry/pseuds/Its_Just_Chemistry
Summary: Judal learns the hard way that it hurts less to fall off a bridge than to fall in love.Sinbad learns the hard way that not all guys are destined to play by the same rules as their friends.





	1. If I Need a Pick Me Up

**Author's Note:**

  * For [iruusu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/iruusu/gifts).



> Rated Teen for mild swearing.
> 
> AU: biromantic + ace Judal
> 
> Gifted to the wonderful and incredibly skilled (as well as just plain incredible, of course) iruusu!! All the SinJu huggles!!!  
> I hope this qualifies as a valid SinJu. I love you
> 
> (I'm sorry I haven't worked on Red Flags recently...)
> 
> Hope you enjoy :)

Sinbad knocks softly on the door, half expecting Judal to scream back for him to "go the fuck away". But when the only response is quiet sobbing, Sinbad realizes it's time for him to step in.

There's a spare key under the welcome mat, and so he lifts it up and takes it, quietly slipping it into the keyhole and walking inside.

Sinbad's mouth falls slightly as he notices Judal shivering on the couch, crying into the palms of his hands. The lights are off, and the blinds are shut, and Sinbad realizes that Judal has gone into full on seclusion. He places the six pack he brought with him onto the floor, taking off his shoes and closing the door. "Judal?"

The youth begins to stifle his sobbing, turning the smallest bit to the sound of Sinbad's voice. "What do you want?" He croaks, and Sinbad can feel his heart shattering at the sound.

"I brought drinks," he said softly, and though under normal circumstances the remark would've been playful, somehow Sinbad had made it sound heartfelt and caring. Judal wiped his nose with his sleeve, whispering a word of thanks under his breath, and Sinbad took the opportunity to approach him and take a seat by his side.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

The youth shook his head, and Sinbad smiled sadly, because somehow, even when Judal was broken, he was still cute.

"Do you want a beer?"

Judal gave a faint nod after a moment, and Sinbad rose from the couch to grab him one. He returned shortly after with two drinks in hand, handing one to the tentative man beside him.

"Is this your first time drinking?"

"Yeah."

Sinbad nodded to himself in understanding, reminiscing about the first time _he'd_ ever had alcohol, before reaching over to touch Judal's shoulder as he opened his can, gulping down its contents in seconds. He grimaced as he pulled the container away, and Sinbad let out a light chuckle. "Not a big fan?"

"It tastes... _weird_."

"Do you not like it?"

"I don't _hate_ it."

The youth then took another drink from the can, and Sinbad decided it was as good a time as any to join in on the fun, opening his own with a click.

 

 

  
"She was _amazing_..." Judal whispered suddenly, and Sinbad bit his lip in envy as he noticed the starstruck look in Judal's eyes. "She was the best thing that ever happened to me..."

"So why did she leave?"

"Because I didn't want to have sex with her."

Sinbad stared quietly as Judal let out a sigh. "I should've just done it..."

"Then why didn't you?"

"Because it makes me really uncomfortable."

"Well, then you did the right thing."

Judal looked at Sinbad, eyebrows furrowed.

"If she couldn't accept you, then she wasn't right for you–"

"Who the hell are _you_ to say that?!"

Sinbad froze as the tears began to form at Judal's eyes again, and to say that his heart had cracked at the sight was an understatement. Sinbad reached over, gently whispering Judal's name as he did— but only to have his hand smacked away midway towards his face. "She was the best thing _that ever happened to me!_ "

"But Judal–"

"No! _Fuck you!_ " Judal screamed. "She was _incredible_. She actually _loved me–!_ "

"Well she clearly didn't love you enough to stay!"

The room went quiet at Sinbad's outburst, and as the man withdrew from his aggressive stance, Judal truly broke down. Tears began to hit the floor, and what had once been quiet gasping was now the sound of sobbing almost mournful. And Sinbad finally understood that perhaps Judal had already been aware that what he had said was true, and the man's own heart continued to break as he looked at what he had done to the youth in front of him.

" _You're right_ ," Judal cried miserably between sobs. "But...but she..." Though the thought went unfinished as Judal continued to cry, wailing in despair and hurting because the person he had trusted– the person who he had broken his walls down for had left him. And that was truly what hurt the most.

  
But suddenly, the youth felt a warmth reach his cheeks, as calloused fingers began to wipe away whatever tears they could, and the sound of Sinbad gently cooing his name could be heard. The youth looked into the man's eyes, taking in the sight of a warm amber hue shining in the darkness of his unlit apartment. And somehow it was enough to make him melt, how someone could be so thoughtful and even care about him, even when he looked so weak and pathetic. Sinbad cupped his hands around Judal's cheeks, looking straight into his eyes.

"I know it hurts," he whispered, and Judal held back his sobs as Sinbad pulled him into his chest.

 

 


	2. This is New to Me, (New to You)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AU addition: homoromantic + hetero Sinbad

There's a woman beside him, and if Sinbad's being honest he doesn't actually remember her name. Carol, maybe?

She has hair as black as the night, and perhaps that's the reason Sinbad had picked her up in the first place. Luscious dark strands are now spilled all over his sheets...and Sinbad's glad that she's on her side with her back towards him, because it gives him the ability to pretend that it's Judal...

The only thing was that it was impossible since they'd had sex. Sinbad remembered having been unable to call out her name, and he'd lasted the entire night because somehow he'd managed to think of holding Judal any time he was about to reach his limit. It had been the first time a woman hadn't been fully satisfied with his performance in bed.

Sinbad laughed cynically. Judal had truly begun to consume his thoughts, hadn't he. The man was halfway across town and Sinbad couldn't get the thought of warm crimson eyes out of his head. Judal was even stopping him from having sex with random strangers. Like Gillian.

Or was it Amy. Jocelyn?

Suddenly, Lauren began to stir, rolling to face Sinbad. She yawned quietly, before sitting up and rolling her shoulders to stretch. "How'd you sleep?" Sinbad asked.

"Really well...you have a soft bed."

"That I do."

Emily's hands landed softly onto Sinbad's chest, feeling the expanse of the muscles beneath them. She giggled, possibly giddy from having woken up to a sight like Sinbad. But of course, Sinbad couldn't have cared less about that.

"You're even more handsome than when I saw you at the bar..."

"Thanks."

As Sinbad continued to look at her face, Diane's hands began to feel around more of Sinbad's chest, trying to trace over every inch of tanned skin she could reach. Sinbad began to stare off to the side as she did this, because somehow he felt ashamed. Ashamed he was letting someone other than Judal see him this exposed.

And yet, deep down, Sinbad knew Judal wouldn't give a second thought to something so trivial. Because no matter how hard Sinbad pined, no matter how much he dreamt of him, Judal could never look at him the way he'd looked at _her_.

The woman who had ditched him because he was only _ninety_ _percent_  of the perfect package. The woman who ditched him because apparently devoting his heart to her just _wasn't enough_. Did she have _any idea_ what lengths Sinbad would go to have Judal's devotion like that? To have Judal shove his heart is into his hands and trust him to keep it safe? Of course there would be rough patches, of course they'd fight sometimes, and of course every once in awhile Sinbad would drop it, but he'd always end up putting it back together. And he knew Judal would never let _his_ heart stay broken for long if he loved him too.

Sinbad chuckled to himself, imagining Judal make some snarky remark if he ever heard such a cheesy proclamation. Though Karen must've assumed she'd just traced over one of Sinbad's more ticklish spots.

  
■ □ ▢

  


_"Send me your location, let's~"_

Judal sipped quietly on another can of beer he'd snatched from the six pack Sinbad had left behind. 

_"Ride the vibrations,"_

Somehow the bitter taste had started to grow on him. Maybe it reminded him of love.

_"I don't need, nothing else but you~"_

Bitter yet refreshing, easy to get high on.

But everything starts to hurt more than before once the the feeling's gone.

 

  


  
Judal switched off the speaker, basking in the silence that followed.

  


  
Maybe he should call Sinbad...or send him a text...

For once in his life, Judal actually wanted to _thank_ someone for helping him. Maybe because this was the first time anyone ever had.

Judal reached for the landline across from him, thinking of what he would say. However he ended up stopping short of grabbing it. What if Sinbad was busy? What if he was still asleep? It _was_ four in the morning, after all...

Judal never liked it when he second guessed himself. He was easy to doubt.

So in the end Judal retracted his arm from the phone, taking another long sip from the can until only a sliver of alcohol remained.

  
■ □ ▢

  
Apparently her name was Charlotte.

Sinbad had found this out after she'd caught him calling out the wrong name during their round for the morning.

 

_"Who the hell is Judal?"_

_"Uh–"_

_"Are you gay?"_

 

Sinbad had never actually been asked that before. Mainly because he was a womanizer. And womanizers generally liked women.

But Sinbad realized he must've at least been _somewhat_ gay if he liked Judal. Though at the same time, he just couldn't picture male genitalia as...well, appealing. Because it wasn't. So what did that make Sinbad?

He liked female parts, but he didn't like women. He didn't like male parts, but he liked _Judal_...

Sinbad took time to ponder, the sound of the shower running faint in the background.

Why did love have to be so complicated? Why couldn't it just be simple, like excitement? Or anger? Sinbad liked simple things. It's why he liked one night stands.

Pick someone up. Have sex. Wake up.

There was nothing complicated about them.

But love was _different_. It _was_ complicated, and there were never any set rules. It gave and it took away. And in all honesty, Sinbad was _scared_ of love.

He was scared of rejection. He was scared of destroying a friendship (if you could call it that). He was scared of the anguish that would come upon seeing the object of his affections swooped off their feet by another person.

Sinbad was too distracted to notice Charlotte come out of the shower. Too distracted to notice her go back into his room. Too distracted to notice that she was gone after the next ten minutes because the thought of love was looming over him like the grim reaper.

 

 

After another moment, Sinbad was walking towards the shower (hoping to hide from his problems behind a translucent glass door).


End file.
